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I had so many major news stories arrive in my email inbox last week that my head has been left spinning. 2017 is turning into a year of seminal change for the UK.
First to arrive was a report in the Press Gazette about regional publisher, Johnston Press PLC's annual results. The report was headlined “Falling advertising revenue sees Johnston Press profits drop 25% to £23m” and makes for challenging read.
The next story was about two of Tesco’s big shareholders and reported to be negative about the company’s proposed merger with Booker. This was followed by the news that Tesco are renewing their contract with Palmer & Harvey for another three years. P&H have also been in the news with their own financial issues.
Then came the announcement that Menzies are in talks to sell its newspaper and magazine distribution arm to DX Group.
The final story of this busy week comes from the American Convenience Store News and it was about heat-not-burn tobacco products and the way they are being sold in Japan.
Of course, that was the week that Mrs May sent the letter to the EU that triggered Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty that will lead to the UK leaving the European Union.
With your products, supply chain and the way the country is run all looking as though they are changing, retailers need to be looking at their business plans now to ensure that they are ready for whatever comes their way. By focusing on what your current and potential customers want now and in the future, you will tune your business for success however things change. A great place to start is to benchmark your shop using the Independent Achievers Academy Retail Profit Guide 2017.


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India’s economic landscape is poised for a growth trajectory, with India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) projecting a 6.5% GDP growth in the fiscal year 2025. The report, released on Thursday, attributes this optimistic forecast to the government’s capital expenditure initiatives, favorable trends in global commodity prices, and a robust corporate performance. While this projection marks a positive trajectory, it diverges from the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) slightly higher forecast of 7% for the same period.
One of the key drivers identified by Ind-Ra for India’s anticipated economic growth is the government’s significant capital expenditure push. The report underscores the pivotal role of government initiatives in propelling economic activities, fostering development, and stimulating overall growth.
Global commodity prices exhibit a noteworthy softness, contributing to India’s economic resilience. This favorable global trend provides a conducive environment for economic expansion, enabling businesses to operate with cost efficiencies and reinforcing the nation’s economic stability.
Ind-Ra’s report sheds light on the encouraging corporate performance, suggesting a potential resurgence in private sector investments. After a prolonged period of subdued private corporate investments, the report indicates a renewed bullish sentiment among businesses. Lead indicators reflect a growing confidence in private corporate sectors, fostering expectations of a new private corporate capex cycle in the coming fiscal year.
Highlighting the positive shift, the report reveals that the private sector successfully raised Rs 3.56 trillion to fund 982 projects in FY23. This substantial increase compared to the Rs 1.98 trillion raised for 791 projects in FY22 signals a notable uptick in corporate optimism and a willingness to invest in growth-oriented initiatives.
Ind-Ra anticipates a moderation in Gross Value Added (GVA) growth to 6.4% in FY25 from 6.9% in the current fiscal year. Within the GVA sectors, agriculture is expected to witness a growth surge to 3% from 1.8% in FY24. Meanwhile, the industry sector’s growth is projected to ease to 6.5% from 7.9%, and the service sector may experience a slowdown to 7.3% from 7.7% in FY24.
Ind-Ra highlights the potential impact of Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation on GVA growth in FY25. With WPI inflation turning positive since November, concerns arise regarding rising input costs affecting corporate margins. The report emphasizes the challenge for producers to pass on higher input costs to output prices, especially in the absence of broad-based consumption.
India’s economic trajectory in FY25 paints a picture of resilience and optimism, fueled by government initiatives, favorable global conditions, and a resurgence in private sector investments. While challenges such as inflationary pressures exist, the overall outlook suggests a positive momentum that could pave the way for sustained economic growth in the coming fiscal year. As India navigates these dynamics, the collaboration between public and private sectors emerges as a key catalyst for shaping a robust economic future.

domain: news


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October 19, 2016
By Thanussha Priyah
Miami, Florida – Telemundo and Netflix announced that the newest and anticipated Super Series from Telemundo including El Chema, Sin Senos Sí Hay Paraíso and Guerra de Ídolos, among others, will premiere exclusively on Netflix in Latin America, including Mexico and Brazil, and will also be available exclusively in Spain and in the United States.
The extension of the deal between both companies also includes multi-territory on-demand rights for series including La Reina del Sur and telenovelas like Pasión de Gavilanes. New seasons of El Señor de los Cielos will be available exclusively to Netflix members in the United States.
The first season of El Chema, the new Super Series from Telemundo, starring Mauricio Ochmann tells the story of el Chema Venegas, a character previously presented in El Señor de los Cielos, exposing his origins and rise to becoming one of the worldwide pillars of organised crime. Following the premiere of the first season of the series on Telemundo in the United States, it will be exclusive to Netflix including subsequent seasons.


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PCG is pleased to announce that Conversica has won a 2017 Automotive Website Award in the Fixed Operations category for their product, Automotive Sales Assistant.
Conversica is an artificial intelligence communication platform that increases bi-directional consumer engagement to convert more CRM leads into sales. The software monitors email engagement with consumers in the CRM and sends its own, personalized email communications with the right message, at the right time. When a consumer engages with a Conversica email, a “hot lead” alert is sent to dealership personnel.
Conversica’s virtual sales assistant works 24×7, 365 days a year and does exactly what you tell him/her to do each day, creating prompt, professional, and persistent communications.
Fixed Operations has been a major theme in the past year, which has lead to the growing development of new technology and marketing tools to increase revenue and retention. As more companies are coming to market with new offerings for Fixed Operations than any other area of the dealership, we are pleased to see this category expand in this year’s Automotive Website Awards.
We congratulate Conversica for winning a 2017 Automotive Website Award in the Fixed Operations category, and thank them for their participation.
More About the 2017 AWA Awards
This year, the Automotive Website Awards took place following the first day of the National Automotive Dealers Association Convention. The Hyatt Regency New Orleans hosted the award show which presented 37 awards to the best website and technology products on the market for car dealers, and one individual. Throughout the rest of the convention, car dealers can learn more about PCG by visiting booth #1261 at NADA. For more information about all the winners of the AWAs, please visit http://www.awa.autos.


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Intercepts 206,000 matchetes without End-User Certificate
By Kenneth Jukpor
Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has recorded over 62 percent increase in export trade at the Tin Can Island Port with 71,014 metric tons of goods exported in the first quarter of 2022, while 44,502 metric tons were exported in the first quarter of 2021.
The Command’s Area Controller, Comptroller Olakunle Oloyede revealed this in his maiden press briefing earlier today, even as he noted that the Free on Board (FOB) value of the exports also increased by over 55 percent from N31.3billion in 2021 to N56.2billion.
According to the Area Controller, one of the marching orders he was given when he was posted to Tin Can was to make Tin Can Island Port export friendly.
He stated that he swiftly had a strategic meeting with the Tin Can Island Port Manager of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). “We designed a winning formula. I also looked at the operational procedures of our officers and did some changes. That’s why we are having this increase of over 62.6 percent in exports, he said.
Commodities exported through the Command include; Copper Ingots, Stainless Steel Ingots, Sesame seeds, Cashew nuts, Cocoa beans, Rubber, Cocoa butter, Leather, Ginger, Frozen shrimps, among others.
Meanwhile, the Command also intercepted some cargoes that could have worsened the security challenges in the country with eight containers of matchetes imported from Ghana containing 206,000 pieces, 145 kilograms of Colorado, and others with a Duty Paid Value of N1.048 billion, were seized.
While the Colorado was concealed in 2 units of Ridgeline trucks; other seizures include 640 bales of used clothes, 236,500 pieces of used shoes, 62,500 pieces of new lady’s shoes, 1,670,400 pieces of Chloroquine injections (Smg/Sml), 1,814,400 pieces Novalgen injection (500mg/Sml), 48,850 rolls of cigarettes and 23,800 tins of sodium bromate and baking powder.
Showcasing the seizures to newsmen, the Comptroller Oloyede said that the machetes were seized due to security issues in the country and there was no End Users Certificate from the office of the National Security Adviser for the importation of such items, adding that import of these products contravenes Sections 46, 47 and 161 of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) Cap 45 LFN 2004.
The Area Controller also revealed that the Command generated N135.443 billion in the first quarter of 2022, which is an improvement of N22.747 billion only, translating to a 20.18 percent increase from the first quarter of 2021 collection of N112.695 billion.
Oloyede stressed that the Command drew inspiration from the 2022 World Customs Day theme, “Scaling Up Customs Digital Transformation by Embracing a Data Culture and Building a Data Ecosystem” to harness facilities made available under NICIS II platform, Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR), Advance Manifest and others to enhance risk management processes at the Command.
He highlighted some of the challenges at the Command to include; treatment of overtime cargoes because of the non-implementation of the extant laws guiding uncleared cargo and lack of government warehouses in close proximity to the port leading to difficulties in logistics and increasing handling costs.


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The world has gone to hell in the latest trailer for Injustice: Gods Among Us, which sets up the story for the DC Comics fighting game. The team behind Mortal Kombat 9 has been working hard on Injustice: Gods Among Us, which hits PC, Xbox 360, Wii U, and PlayStation 3 on April 16th, and that includes a story that – combined with the tie-in digital and print comic – hits some dark notes. This latest trailer shows us a glimpse at what caused the Justice League – except for Batman, of course – to take over the world in an alternate reality to the mainstream DC Universe.
The trailer’s big moment – the Joker apparently blowing up Metropolis, the city Superman calls home, isn’t even the biggest part of the story, if spoilers from the comic are to be believed. Be ready for a big departure, comic fans.
Injustice: Gods Among Us has been getting a lot of praise from the gaming community lately, with the gameplay crafted by Netherrealm Studios, who hit a home run with the reboot of Mortal Kombat. You’ll be using your environment to your advantage, as well as using “Super Moves” instead of Fatalities. So far, 15 playable characters have been confirmed, with more expected via DLC.


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Val Thorens is to open for the ski season this weekend, and is reporting excellent snow conditions.
The 23rd and 24th will see the resort’s La Grande Première launch event which sees staff from leading ski brands all coming together to showcase their latest equipment, clothing and accessories – free of charge – at the Test Village. Around 15,000 skiers and boarders are expected to attend.
“Whether it’s taking advantage of the freshly groomed slopes, drinking mulled wine or enjoying the free entertainment, skiers will be spoiled as the resort has already had a decent snowfall in November – currently there’s around 90cm of fresh snow on the slopes.”
New for this year, members of the Club Val Thorens will also have the possibility to enjoy the snow with a special VIP opening event tomorrow, Friday, November 22, 2019.
(Val Thorens on 3 November)
Although French resorts have not seen the huge snowfalls of the first three weeks of November that some in Austria and Italy have it has still been a very positive start with some big snowfalls. In the past Val Thorens has had to delay or even cancel this opening weekend extravaganza due to lack of snow cover this early in the year, but this year it’s looking good.
Val Thorens will be about the sixth French resort to open with several smaller areas in the Alps and French Pyrenees already open due to the good early conditions. Glacier centre Tignes has been open for more than a month. This video was recorded a week ago:
[J-7] En direct dans les rues de #ValThorens avec la nouvelle GoPro HERO8 : on répond à toutes vos questions ! ❄☀?——[D-7] Follow us live in the streets of #Valthorens! We answer all your questions! ❄☀?
Posted by Val Thorens on Friday, 15 November 2019
The UCPA (Union des Centres Sportifs de Plein Air) – a non-profit French organisation that makes outdoor sports holidays available for people of ages 7 to 39 – is capitalising on this must-visit event to kick off their season, too. Several instructors from the UCPA centre will be at their stand from 9h to 16h30 to take people up on the slopes and help them discover the best spots to visit in the resort. They’ll also guide visitors about all the different snow sport options to be found in the Test Village.
Dynafit is organising a “ski touring initiation” on Saturday November 23 from 4 pm onwards to introduce the discipline to those curious and fit enough to forego the lifts and give it a go. The programme includes a leisurely tour towards Chalet de la Marine where a small Savoyard snack awaits participating skiers. Register at the Dynafit stand in the Test Village.


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KENYA – The former Managing Director and chief executive of the Kenya Bureau of standards, Charles Ongwae has been charged with abuse of office in a fraud suit for enforcing unlawful penalties on imports that cost the government its revenues.
A Business Daily report, Mr Ongwae, released on bond, was among other suspects accused of defrauding the government US$528,792.30 (KSh54 million) in imports of goods.
The suspects are said to have conspired to defraud the government of its revenues by unlawfully imposing a penalty of 0.5% instead of 15% of the total import value on imports without a certificate of conformity contrary to the law.
According to the prosecution, two importers- Gendipe Enterprises and Rupai Trading Ltd and their clearing agent Landmark Freight Services Ltd concealed imported goods with the aim of evading taxes and reducing amount of penalties payable for goods arriving without certificate of conformity from the country of origin.
After denying the charges, court ordered him to appear before the investigating officer at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to record a statement.
During his tenure, the former boss had to answer to several allegations including a collaboration with traders and allowing goods unfit for human consumption flood the market.
In the aftermath of his departure as the KEBs CEO, several revelations came to light including incapacitated inspection services and entry of both substandard and ‘unsafe’ goods into the country.
He left the agency in the middle of the ‘contraband sugar’ fiasco, said to have been contaminated with mercury and copper.
Several controversies also lied with KEB’s sticker marks, with reports that syndicate operating within the KEBs compound oversees the printing of the fake stickers to produce all mark-of-quality labels.
Following the government’s crack-down on contraband and fake products, KEBs took a bold step to destroy imported expired rice and unwholesome spaghetti.


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Amazon Singapore collaborated with Blessings in a Bag (BIAB)—a volunteer-driven non-profit organisation that focuses on bridging the gap between communities that have and those that don't—to deliver smiles to children and youth in need. Amazon kicked off the collaboration with a pledge of S$10,000 in sponsorship and in-kind donations to Blessings in a Bag, and invites members of the public to donate to the non-profit as well by purchasing items that BIAB needs through their wishlist on Amazon.sg. Less privileged children aged between 6 and 16 years old supported by BIAB will benefit directly from receiving items ranging from books, bags, stationery, musical instruments and food available on Amazon.sg.
According to Forbes Nonprofit Council, convincing donors to give regularly can be difficult and some of the major barriers keeping donors from giving is the lack of clarity about what a non-profit organisation needs and complicated user experience for a donor to donate. The wishlist feature available on Amazon.sg is designed to make it easy for people to donate to BIAB by specifying what items and quantity are needed, the non-profit's delivery address for the purchase, and conveniently delivers the donations in a fuss-free, transparent manner. With free domestic delivery this holiday season for eligible items on Amazon.sg, making a meaningful donation is easier than ever. Interested donors can get a better understanding of the essential items required and purchase these items for Blessings in a Bag.
"This holiday season, we are pleased to collaborate with Blessings in a Bag on the wishlist initiative to support less privileged children in a simple and straightforward manner," said Henry Low, Country Manager, Amazon Singapore. "We invite the public to join us in delivering smiles to the children in this season of giving, and all non-profit and charity organisations to try out Amazon.sg's wishlist feature for in-kind donations."
"We're grateful to have Amazon Singapore's support during the year-end festive period. As a non-profit with limited resources, the wishlist functionality on Amazon greatly reduces the amount of time it would have taken for us to work out the logistics of getting the items we need. In addition, the donated items will be delivered directly to Blessings in a Bag, so donors need not worry about working out the delivery logistics themselves," said Emily Teng, Founder, Blessings in a Bag. "Aside from the essential items such as toothbrushes and food, many of our requested items consist of books and Amazon, being known for its wide selection of books, is the perfect partner for what we need."
In addition to the wishlist and sponsorship, Amazon Singapore employees will be participating in Blessings in a Bag's Community Walk, preparing food and supplies hampers to be distributed to the families of children who are part of the BIAB program this holiday season.


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TOKYO (Bloomberg) -- Nissan said its sales may reach 10 trillion yen ($123 billion) this year depending on the strength of the Japanese yen that CEO Carlos Ghosn compared to an over-sized ape.
"There is a 1,000-pound gorilla that's unpredictable, which is going to be the level of the yen," Ghosn said in an interview at the Beijing auto show on Monday. "All the Japanese car manufacturers are suffering from it, but for the rest of it, business is going very well,'' Ghosn added.
While the yen has weakened the most in a basket of 10 developed-nation currencies this year, it's still about 40 percent stronger than in the months before Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.'s 2008 bankruptcy.
According to the Bloomberg Correlation-Weighted Currency Indexes, the yen is at a level of 401 today, compared with 285 in June 2008.
The currency's strength continues to make exports for Japanese carmakers expensive and drives down profit margins.
Overall, Japans automakers including Nissan, Toyota and Honda are expected to report higher earnings this fiscal year, according to analysts' estimates, as they restore production badly hit by natural disasters in Japan and Thailand during 2011.
Nissan's revenue may increase 6.9 percent to 10.03 trillion yen in the year ending March 2013, according to the average of 27 analysts' estimates compiled by Bloomberg. The last time Nissan's sales reached 10 trillion yen was in the 2008 financial year.
Ghosn forecast Nissan's sales to continue to outperform in China, where industry growth may range from 5 percent to 6 percent this year. In China, Nissan plans to become one of the top three automakers in the country, helped by models such as the Venucia, which is geared toward Chinese consumers looking for affordable cars, Ghosn said.
The automaker plans to introduce about 30 models in the country by 2015, including electric cars, and to almost double its deliveries to more than 2.3 million units.
Ghosn reiterated his targets for Nissan's premium Infiniti brand to account for 10 percent of the global luxury-car market, compared with about 2.5 percent to 3 percent today.
Nissan Executive Vice President Andy Palmer, who heads the Infiniti business, said on Monday that sales of the luxury brand in China may reach 100,000 units by the end of March 2017, or 20 percent of its global deliveries. Nissan plans to begin producing two Infiniti models in China in 2014, Palmer added.


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University of Sussex and University of Brighton named as two of the most vegan-friendly universities in the country
Both the University of Sussex and the University of Brighton have been named as two of the most vegan-friendly universities in the country by a leading animal rights’ charity.
PETA has named both institutions among the top 20 vegan universities in the UK, praising both for their wide variety of affordable, vegan options.
The charity highlighted Sussex’s plant-based offerings from the vegan food bar, On the Pulse, which is available from Eat Central, the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts, Jubilee café and Doctor’s Orders.
‘On The Pulse’ has been operating for more than three years and aims to offer at least one vegan option every day for staff and students and for the majority of days. The offer is also gluten free.
It allows student to build their own meal deals and choose from premium salad options, including chargrilled cauliflower, Mediterranean quinoa, and pomegranate seeds.
Sussex Food has been recognised for the sustainability of its food having won three stars from the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) – the highest level of the award at the university’s first time of applying.
Sussex Food has also put the university on the sustainable food map alongside some of Brighton and Hove’s top restaurants including The Salt Room and Purezza as part of the One Planet Plate initiative, which is also run by the SRA.
PETA also commends Brighton University for its variety of vegan options, including vegan croissants or ‘irresistible’ fry-ups for breakfast and soups and sandwiches for lunch. For dinner, there’s always at least one vegan options, as well as a choice of jacket potatoes, salads, soups and more. The University’s cafés offer non-dairy milks and vegan baked goods including heavenly homemade cakes.
PETA Director Elisa Allen said:
“Students in the UK are going vegan in huge numbers, and it’s great to see universities joining the revolution. PETA commends the Universities of Brighton and Sussex for offering healthy and delicious vegan food options that everyone can enjoy.”


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Sebi notifies relaxed rules for listing start-ups
The changes have been made to the framework for listing on the Innovators Growth Platform (IGP), according to two separate notifications issued on Wednesday.
Sensex makes strong start led by bank stocks, up 200 points
Dalal Street clocked a positive start on Tuesday with the S&P BSE Sensex index ga...
Aid is starting to flow into India, including oxygen supplies
Oxygen in India has been in short supply as it grapples with this latest wave o...
India’s ‘buoyant’ startup culture shut out of global SPAC hunt
The number of SPAC deals that have taken Indian companies public on the U.S. stock exchanges remains stuck at exactly three—even as an estimated $120 billion in capital seeks deals in Asia.
Handset makers may be forced to cut production as inventory starts piling up
“Chances are there will be inventory issues due to dip in demand especially in May. Offline retailers are very cautious, especially when there is uncertainty of business operations amidst rising cases and possibility of partial lockdowns,” Tarun Pathak, associate director at Counterpoint Research, said.
Private equity, venture capital investments rise 64% to $8.3 bn in March qtr: Report
At $1.8 billion, e-commerce recorded the highest quarterly value of investments in the sector in the past five quarters, the report by the consultancy firm EY and industry lobby India Venture Capital Association, said.
Get up, and start working out: Covid more fatal for patients with sedentary lifestyle
Physical inactivity was surpassed only by advanced age and a history of organ transplant.
Public procurement from GeM portal crosses Rs 1 lakh cr: CEO Talleen Kumar
The portal provides a wide range of products from office stationery to vehicles. Automobiles, computers and office furniture are currently the top product categories. Services, including transportation, logistics, waste management, web casting and analytical, are listed on the portal.
Sebi eases rules for listing Indian startups on innovator growth platform
The capital markets regulator has approved reducing the period where eligible investors in a start-up prior to the public issue have to hold 25 per cent of the pre-issue capital to one year from two years earlier.
Sebi may make it lot easier to take startups public
The regulator has proposed that the compulsory shareholding period before listing for investors owning 25 per cent or higher in start-ups be halved to one year. It has also suggested raising the open offer trigger for investment deals, and recommended allocation of a higher percentage of shares to anchor investors during public issues and special rights to promoters and existing institutional investors.
UP RERA to start physical hearing from May 1
In two years, 28,020 complaints have been registered with RERA. Out of these, 20,740 are of NCR. 16,136 complaints have been disposed off from the NCR region and 4,893 complaints from the non-NCR region.
NSE’s buying spree continues with investment in machine learning start-up
The investment by the country’s largest stock exchange has been done through its subsidiary NSE Data & Analytics.
LXME founder feels the challenge for a start-up is more pronounced for women
Priti Rathi Gupta shares her tips for young entrepreneurs.
PM Modi announces Rs 1,000 crore funds for new start-ups
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed ‘Prarambh: Startup India International Summit...
Pausing, then starting up again
Five startup founders narrate their experiences on how they have been able to deal with the challenges and adapted to the changed circumstances after the Covid outbreak.


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December 17, 2007
DENVER -- WildBlueCommunications, Inc. today announced that they have signed an agreement with Google, Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG) to provide a suite of enhanced services to WildBlue customers.
The new WildBlue.net home page, slated to launch in the first quarter of 2008, will include many of Google's popular web services, including Gmail™ webmail services, Google Calendar™ shared calendaring, Google Talk™ instant messaging and Google Page Creator™ web page creation tools. The new WildBlue.net home page will also feature a mix of news, weather, sports, and entertainment, plus powerful new customizable features from more than 2,000 available Google Gadgets that can be easily added to each customer's individual WildBlue.net home page.
"Our partnership with Google is another example of WildBlue's continued commitment to providing our customers with innovative products and services that improve their high-speed Internet experience," said David Leonard, WildBlue's Chief Executive Officer. "Google's strong brand and extensive suite of valuable services are the perfect complement to WildBlue and we’re proud to be able to offer it to our rapidly growing base of customers."
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Closing event will feature top creator Faza Meonk and Marchella F.P to share intellectual property success stories.
JAKARTA, Indonesia, Nov. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CIAYO Comics, the first locally established and developed digital comic platform in Indonesia, will wrap up its largest and first-ever roadshow for comic creators in Indonesia, ComiConnect Tour 2018. To complete the 11th cities' roadshow, ComiConnect Tour 2018 will make stop in Jakarta on November 24, 2018, proclaiming to be the biggest and most-anticipated Indonesia's offline comic creators' roadshow throughout the year. The closing event, ComiConnect Tour 2018 Jakarta, will take place in COCOWORK Filateli Coworking Space, Jakarta, featuring sharing sessions about "How to Manage and Develop Intellectual Property" by Marchella F.P, founder of Generasi 90an, and Faza Meonk, creator of top local comic, Si Juki. Special performance by rising singer Vadi Akbar and a YouTuber, Moneva, will conclude the event, aiming to attract hundreds of comic enthusiasts to join the hype in Jakarta.
Being held for 8 consecutive months since March 2018, the event drew together over 1,000 comic creators from across cities in Indonesia, as well as Indonesia's top local comic communities, including Lumpia Komik, Forum Komik Jogja and Komikin Ajah. Thousands of comic creators were chosen on the basis of their appealing visual creativities and stories, from 10 cities in Indonesia, such as Bandung, Yogyakarta, Semarang, Surabaya, Bali, Makassar, Medan, Banda Aceh, Batam, and Tegal.
"We've gone to the forefront of the new pop culture movement, as digital comics now continue to evolve. It surely has a broad appeal to young generation, thus through this event, we aim to attract more local comic creators to get their ideas translated into most attractive story-driven visuals for their audiences," said Borton Liew, CEO of CIAYO Comics. During the roadshow, four selected top comic creators, Sweta Kartika, Yoga Danu, Is Yuniarto and Arief Digidoy, have successfully published their story-driven works to CIAYO Comic digital platform, reaching over 100,000 subscribers.
To increase awareness of digitizing comics, CIAYO Comics have also collaborated with over 300 local comic creators, now adding the numbers to grow over 1,000 through roadshow and face-to-face engagement with community. "This will help us to capture new creative talents from all around Indonesia. Moreover, over half of Indonesia's comic creators were not coming from a big city in Indonesia," said Khrisnawan Adhie, Head of Business Development of CIAYO Corp.
With a total population of more than 260 million, Indonesia is now experiencing a rapid internet penetration growth. In 2017, there were nearly 105 million of people accessing the internet in Indonesia and this figure is projected to grow to up to around 130 million in 2021, according to a research by Statista. "We see new emerging markets for digital comics to grow. In particular, we look our audience, that are now younger, more diverse, and more creative. They penetrate new technology way faster and higher, hence they will access stories from a much wider range of channels than we typically assume of for a comic," added Khrisnawan Adhie.
Since its founding in 2016, CIAYO Comics' platform has popularized numerous local creators with outstanding talents, such as Ivone, an author behind the horror comic with more than 5 million readers, The Librarian; and a North Sumatran's author, Gaby, an author of over 100,000 comic's subscribers, Hana & Mr Arrogant. Up until now, CIAYO Comics had over 800,000 downloads and more than 95,000 active users per day, targeting to reach 5 million downloads by 2019. In the near future, CIAYO Comics will launch new comic namely Dread Out Comics, based on Indonesia's popular horror game, and the movie will be released in 2019.
About CIAYO Corp:
CIAYO Corp started an intellectual property development business with digital comic application CIAYO Comics in 2016. CIAYO Comics became the first national digital comic platform in Indonesia. CIAYO Corp also runs a game development studio, CIAYO Games under its umbrella, and collaborating with prominent animation studio and game studio, respectively Kumata Studio and Agate Studio. CIAYO Games launched the mobile arcade game "CHIPS: Monster Tap!" which was nominated in Indonesia Game Contest by Google Play and The Best Mobile Game of The Year by Popcon Asia 2017. Operating as a media, CIAYO Corp runs CIAYO Blog to publish contemporary pop culture issues that reaches more than 100,000 readers every month.
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As he circled the Indians, Richard Alexander thought about buying one.
"I could see one of the smaller ones along a wall in our family room," said his wife, Sharon, who watched him study the line of colorful, hand-carved wooden figures outside a souvenir shop near the middle of town. "I'd like to come home with some kind of memento."
Just contemplating an exotic memento of their vacation is a novelty for the Alexanders. After years of more modest vacations or no vacation at all, this summer the Alexanders, from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., chose the rugged landscapes of western Wyoming for a 10-day odyssey, a touring and camping adventure that has already included Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.
"We haven't taken a 10-day vacation in several years, and we just decided it was time," said Mr. Alexander, an accountant. "This year we decided to let it all hang out."
The Alexanders are not alone. With the nation's economy relatively healthy, consumers confident that it will stay that way, and unemployment consistently low, travel industry officials say Americans this summer are driving, flying and cruising to destinations around the country in record numbers. From Bar Harbor, Me., to the Wisconsin Dells to the cushiest of Hawaiian resorts, hotel occupancy rates are up and golf courses and water slides are crowded.
Many national parks are overflowing, led by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the Tennessee-North Carolina border, where a record 1.165 million people visited in June, an increase of 20.5 percent over June of last year. At the Grand Canyon, where park officials have worried for years about overcrowding and adverse effects of too many vehicles, a record 665,255 tourists visited last month, an increase of 23.4 percent over June 1994.Continue reading the main story
"There has been a great deal of pent-up emotion over wish lists for travel for a long time," said William S. Norman, chief executive of the Travel Industry Association of America, a trade organization based in Washington. "A lot of people were thinking, Should we or shouldn't we? But there were enough positive indicators of the economy to decide, Let's do it now, and people are splurging."
In general, Mr. Norman said, vacationers this summer are spending more money, staying longer and upgrading accommodations and transportation where they can. All of this, he said, could result in an increase of 5 percent or more over the $416 billion that Americans and foreign visitors spent on travel and tourism in the United States last year. That would be the largest jump in five years.
Foreigners account for about 1 of every 5 tourist dollars spent in the United States, a proportion that has remained relatively constant in the 1990's.
Many more people are taking family vacations this summer. "People are feeling the need to spread their wings," said Kathy Sudeikis, a travel agent in Kansas City, Mo. "They have been thinking about family values and want to spend their vacation together. They want to play out that experience."
The evidence can be found almost everywhere, not just in traditional vacation meccas like Walt Disney World in Florida or Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. In Bar Harbor, a coastal town near Acadia National Park, visitors from all over the East this summer are tying up traffic. "This year, it was more difficult to finding parking earlier," said Rosteen Masters, chief executive of the town's Chamber of Commerce. "Instead of July, it was happening in May."
In Myrtle Beach, S.C., where a record 12 million visitors last year jammed attractions along 60 miles of oceanfront, officials are predicting even higher numbers this year. Same for the Wisconsin Dells, a favorite Midwestern destination for its growing number of water parks, theme parks and theaters.
Even places not known as resort destinations are enjoying boom times. Sonny Marston, general manager of the side-by-side Plaza Theater Wax Museum and the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum in San Antonio, said the crowds this summer could exceed last year's record numbers.
"People are always interested in seeing a two-headed pig," Mr. Marston said of the Ripley's museum, where visitors can also view an oil rig made of 400,000 matchsticks, an Eiffel Tower made of 20,000 toothpicks, various shrunken heads and the Lord's Prayer written on a pin.
Mr. Marston said visitors were equally excited about the array of film stars in wax, including the newly arrived Jim Carey and Whoopi Goldberg. "And we should be getting a Brad Pitt pretty quick," he volunteered.
Here in Wyoming, Jackson sits at the base of Jackson Hole, a 60-mile valley that runs through the Tetons up to Yellowstone. It has been a favorite summer resort destination for years for outdoor activities like camping, hiking, fly fishing and whitewater rafting. Next month, President Clinton and his family are expected for two weeks.
The town has a typical resort look, with lots of hotels, boutiques and souvenir shops -- but all in a western motif. A stagecoach with tourists aboard circles the town square all day, and the periodic gunshots are from two faux cowboys re-enacting a showdown. More than 15 movies have been shot in the area, including "Shane" and "Rocky IV," and town officials say Jackson was where John Wayne first rode a horse, in 1932.
Like the Alexanders, many visitors here said their time in Jackson Hole was part of vacation plans that were more ambitious than in recent years, whether measured by money spent, quality of accommodations or number of days away from their lives back home.
"I talk to a lot of people, and more than in the past, they're saying they have extended their vacation this year," said Gerald Humphries, a 41-year-old physical education teacher from Blackfoot, Idaho, who dons cowboy hat and boots each summer to drive the stagecoach. "It's like they're staying two weeks, rather than four or five days."
Driving through the area with their sons, Matthew, 11, and Jonathan, 8, Janet and Brad Belz of Manhasset, L.I., decided to stretch their vacation by 2 days, to 12, on a trip that began in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
"We really want the kids to experience as much as they can of state and Federal parks before they changed," Mr. Belz, a vice president at Macy's, said as his family spent an evening on a covered-wagon train to a western music show and barbecue dinner of chicken, roast beef, corn and beans. "It would have been just as easy to go to the Caribbean. But this is a lot more rewarding."
Craig Whittaker, a sales manager for an oil chemical company in Houston, said he and his wife, Terri, and their daughters, Leah, 8 and Rachel, 5, had generally spent vacations in and around Texas. But a scheduled business trip gave them the opportunity to plan something different.
"We decided to spend a little bit more money and bring the family along," Mr. Whittaker said during the covered-wagon ride, as his girls watched two men dressed like Indians pretend to attack. "It's been fun."
Sitting in the town square, with its portals of elk antlers at each corner, Neal and Mary Crout of Fond du Lac, Wis., said their nine-day vacation was a gift to themselves, a respite from their jobs. "We love to travel even if that means scrimping on something else," said Mr. Crout, a warehouse supervisor. "We decided to be good to ourselves this year."
"But," his wife insisted, "we're still pretty conservative. We're not the kind to buy a $500 Pendleton sweater. We're not from New York, you know."Continue reading the main story


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Mobile phone manufacturers are putting more effort into improving their business energy credentials, according to CNET UK.
Flora Graham, mobile phones editor at the technology website, said the increased awareness of business energy efficiency among mobile phone companies is down to corporate reasons, as manufacturers are looking for ways to appeal to customers and differentiate themselves from competitors.
Ms Graham pointed out that there should be more of a commitment from mobile phone manufacturers to producing environmentally-friendly phones and reducing their carbon footprint.
"The chemicals and the amount of energy that goes into mobile phones definitely need to be improved," she said.
"It is up to us as consumers to put as much pressure as we can on the manufacturers to make that happen."
Ms Graham added that the eco mobile phone rating scheme will give consumers more confidence in the sustainability of their phones but urged users to try not to put too much emphasis on a single measure or ranking.
If you want to find out more about your energy options and how you could save up to £468 in minutes, click here.


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Diddy & Dirty Money‘s “Last Train To Paris” album, released on December 14, 2010, first week album final sales is in.
According to our usual source Hits Daily Double, which builds albums sales chart and updated every 5 minutes Mondays and Tuesdays, before results gets to SoundScan, Diddy & Dirty Money’s “Last Train To Paris” album has sold 87,380 copies on its first week of release (#10 on the sales chart), which is FINAL of sales collected for his first week of release.
Last Train To Paris is available in stores now…
UPDATE: According to the Nielsen SoundScan report, which was released today (December 22), Diddy and his Dirty Money crew debuted at No. 7 on The Billboard 200 album charts after selling about 100,800 copies of their album “Last Train to Paris”.


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Published 10:00 pm, Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Boeing working on new 737 variant for Navy
The Boeing Co. announced Tuesday that it will develop an airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance plane based on its best-selling 737 model. It would be a variant of the 737 Multimission Maritime Aircraft that Boeing is developing for the Navy to replace older P-3 Orion sub hunters. Boeing said the 737 SIGINT (signals intelligence) aircraft would be used to listen to electronic transmissions and relay that information to military commanders. Much of the work needed to modify 737s for the Navy MMA program will be done at the Renton plant. After several test planes are built, the Navy will decide whether to order up to 100 of the aircraft.
- Apple iPhone X May Harm iPhone 8 SalesWochit
- How to Pay Off Student LoansRSimpleTime
- Ford is Recalling 1.3 Million TrucksWochit
- Everything With Wi-Fi Has a Newly Discovered Security Flaw. Here's How to Protect YourselfTMTime
- Previewing Netflix's Q3 Earnings: Will Price Hikes Spur Churn?Cheddar
- New Tech Gives Bank Cybersecurity a BoostCheddar
- Mattress Firm Does Bed-in-a-Box DifferentlyCheddar
- Russian 'agents' spend tens of thousands on Google adsWibbitz
- Editorial: Baltimore may be underdog in Amazon HQ2 chase, but that's goodWBAL
- Starbucks Is Putting a Maple Pecan Latte on the MenuFAWTime
- Seattle is in a $5 billion battle for Amazon's second headquartersWochit
- Equifax reveals second hack months before latest breachFox35Orlando
- Vermont improves access to treatmentWPTZ
- Subway Wants Alleged Misconduct Charges Associated With Jared Fogle DroppedBuzz60
- Target Hiring Over 100,000 Employees For Holiday SeasonBuzz60
- Amazon to open second company headquartersWTAE
- Gap Is Closing 200 StoresFortuneTime
- Obama Issues Statement On Trump's Decision To End DACAGeoBeats
- Amazon Priming Whole Foods for Prime Member DiscountsCheddar
Starbucks buys out joint-venture partners
Starbucks Corp. said Tuesday it has acquired the outstanding stakes in its joint-venture partners, Coffee Partners Hawaii and Cafe del Caribe, that it didn't already own. Terms of the acquisitions weren't disclosed. Starbucks operates retail stores in Hawaii with Coffee Partners Hawaii and in Puerto Rico with Cafe del Caribe. Starbucks had owned a 5 percent interest in both companies, which will now be operated as wholly owned subsidiaries. There are 54 stores with about 1,100 employees in Hawaii and 13 stores with about 300 workers in Puerto Rico.
Everett Bartell store moving to larger site
Bartell Drugs, a Seattle company that operates retail stores in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties, said Tuesday that it will close its store in Everett's Silver Lake neighborhood and move across the street to an all-new store at 11020 19th Ave. N.E. At 15,035 square feet, the new store is more than 2,000 square feet larger than the facility Bartell previously occupied for 21 years.
IRS fraud-detection program will be reviewed
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- IRS Commissioner Mark Everson ordered a review Tuesday of a tax-fraud-detection program criticized for freezing thousands of refunds without notifying taxpayers. Everson said the Internal Revenue Service soon will announce new procedures to advise taxpayers when a refund has been frozen. Lawmakers said the IRS needed to take more care to prevent innocent taxpayers from enduring long delays in receiving a refund. IRS criminal investigators use the Questionable Refund Program to screen tax returns for indications of fraud. It temporarily freezes refunds when it detects evidence of potential fraud.
Delta to cut up to 1,000 jobs in Atlanta
Delta Air Lines Inc., the third-largest U.S. carrier, plans to cut up to 1,000 plane-maintenance jobs and close a repair hangar in Atlanta as part of its bankruptcy reorganization. Employees were told late Monday that the company will eliminate 800 to 1,000 jobs by April 1 and will seek volunteers to take leaves or retire before making involuntary cuts, said Anthony Black, a Delta spokesman.
Northwest, Sabre end fare, schedule dispute
Northwest Airlines Corp. agreed to distribute its fares and schedules through Sabre Holdings Corp. for the next five years after the two companies agreed to settle opposing lawsuits filed in August 2004. Sabre will distribute Northwest route and fare information to travel agents and through its Travelocity Web site, Sabre spokesman Michael Berman said. Neither Berman nor Northwest spokeswoman Jennifer Bagdade would disclose the value of the deal.
Pilots' protest forces more SAS cancellations
SAS Group's Scandinavian Airlines, the Nordic region's biggest carrier, will cancel as many as 300 short and medium flights from Denmark through midnight tonight after dropping hundreds of flights at Copenhagen and Oslo for a second day Tuesday as pilots protested a reorganization.
Judge denies request to move Enron trial
HOUSTON -- Enron Corp. founder Kenneth Lay and former CEO Jeffrey Skilling will go to trial in the scandal-ridden company's hometown of Houston. U.S. District Judge Sim Lake issued an order late Monday denying the former executives' last-minute request to move the trial from Houston based on potential jurors' vitriolic statements about Lay and Skilling on questionnaires.
Johnson & Johnson profit soars 79 percent
TRENTON, N.J. -- Health care conglomerate Johnson & Johnson posted a 79 percent increase in fourth-quarter profit Tuesday, mainly because of lower overhead costs and a tax charge. The maker of contraceptives, contact lenses, prescription drugs and baby and skin care products said net income totaled $2.2 billion, or 73 cents per share, for the three months ended Dec. 31.
BNSF Railway chugs along nicely in quarter
FORT WORTH, Texas -- Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, the second-biggest U.S. railroad, said fourth-quarter profit rose 24 percent as freight shipments and prices increased. Net income was $430 million, or $1.13 a share, compared with $347 million, or 91 cents, a year earlier.
Assets sale helps Rayonier considerably
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Rayonier Inc., which owns more than 2 million acres of timberlands, said fourth-quarter profit more than quadrupled after the sale of assets in New Zealand and on higher wood prices. Profit rose to $56.4 million, or 73 a share, compared with $13.5 million, or 18 cents a share, in the year-earlier period.
Revenue up at all units of United Technologies
United Technologies Corp., the maker of Pratt & Whitney engines and Sikorsky aircraft, said Tuesday that earnings for the fourth quarter increased as revenue rose across all divisions. Net income increased to $626 million, or 62 cents per share.
$104 million loss for Lucent in first quarter
MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. -- Lucent Technologies Inc. on Tuesday reported a $104 million loss for its fiscal first quarter, reflecting a large litigation charge and a 12 percent sales decline at the telecommunications equipment maker. Lucent's loss amounted to 2 cents per share compared with a profit of $174 million, or 4 cents per share, a year earlier.
Profit at 3M jumps 5.7 percent in 4th quarter
MAPLEWOOD, Minn. -- 3M Co., a maker of more than 50,000 products, said fourth-quarter profit rose 5.7 percent, helped by higher sales of industrial products and film that brightens displays on computer monitors and televisions. Net income rose to $761 million, or 99 cents a share.


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The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index is at its highest level in nearly a year.
After falling slightly in July, the Index now stands at 101.1, a gain of 4.4. The Present Situation Index rose from 118.8 to 123.0, while the Expectations Index improved to 86.4 from 82.0.
“Consumers’ assessment of both current business and labor market conditions was considerably more favorable than last month,” said Conference Board Director of Economic Indicators Lynn Franco. “Short-term expectations regarding business and employment conditions, as well as personal income prospects, also improved, suggesting the possibility of a moderate pick-up in growth in the coming months.”
Current conditions outlook
Consumers who think business conditions are “good” increased from 27.3% to 30.0%, while the proportion of those who see the opposite was unchanged at 18.4%.
Consumers’ assessment of the labor market was also more favorable. Those saying jobs are more “plentiful” increased from 23.0% to 26.0%. At the same time, however, those who believe jobs are “hard to get” also rose -- to 23.4% from 22.1%.
There was more optimism regarding the short-term outlook in August. The percentage of consumers expecting business conditions to improve over the next six months increased from 15.7% to 17.3%, while those expecting business conditions to worsen dropped from 12.4% to 11.1%.
The outlook for the labor market was more favorable than in July. The proportion expecting more jobs in the months ahead rose from 13.5% to 14.2%, while those anticipating losses held steady at 17.5%.
The percentage of consumers expecting their incomes to rise went from 17.1% to 18.8%, while those expecting a decline were down marginally to 10.7% from 11.0%.
The monthly Consumer Confidence Survey, based on a probability-design random sample, is conducted for The Conference Board by Nielsen, a provider of information and analytics around what consumers buy and watch. The cutoff date for the preliminary results was August 18.


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* Fed’s highlights global growth concerns, spooks markets
* Disney falls after downgrade, weighs on Dow
* Apple falls on report of declining phone sales in China
* S&P tech, finance index turn negative for the year
* Indexes down: Dow 1.08 pct, S&P 1.04 pct, Nasdaq 1.62 pct (Adds details, comment, updates prices)
By Tanya Agrawal
Aug 20 (Reuters) - Wall Street fell more than 1 percent on Thursday morning, pushing the Dow and the S&P into the red for the year, after the Federal Reserve highlighted global growth concerns and as Walt Disney dragged down consumer discretionary stocks.
The Dow Jones industrial average fell to a more than six-month low, while the Nasdaq composite and the S&P 500 fell to their lowest in more than a month.
The Fed, in minutes of its latest meeting released on Wednesday, continued to express broad concerns about lagging inflation even as the job market improved further. The comments led traders to scale back bets that rates would be raised in September.
“Today’s movement is an illustration of a dramatic shift in sentiment,” said Tom Digenan, head of U.S. equities at UBS Global Asset Management.
“The Fed minutes certainly added to the fear factor. Any negative or even neutral news adds to it. Neutral is the new negative in this environment.”
At 11:27 a.m. ET (1527 GMT) the Dow Jones industrial average was down 186.67 points, or 1.08 percent, at 17,162.06.
The S&P 500 was down 21.56 points, or 1.04 percent, at 2,058.05 and the Nasdaq composite was down 81.23 points, or 1.62 percent, at 4,937.83.
Nine of the 10 major S&P sectors were lower, with five of the 10 down more than 1 percent. The consumer discretionary index’s 1.9 percent fall led the decliners.
Utilities stocks, sought by investors when Treasuries yields are seen remaining lower for longer, sharply outperformed the benchmark index with a 0.34 percent gain.
Disney fell 4.8 percent to $101.39 and Time Warner fell 3.6 percent to $75.03 after Bernstein downgraded the two stocks. Disney was the biggest drag on the Dow Jones industrial average and the consumer discretionary index.
Another drag on the consumer index was Netflix. The stock fell more than 8 percent to $112.03 in its steepest intraday decline since mid-October.
Apple fell 1.3 percent, weighing the most on the Nasdaq and the S&P, after a Gartner report that said China smartphone sales fell for the first time ever in the second quarter. Apple counts China as a key growth market.
Apple also dragged on the S&P tech index, which moved into negative territory for the year after its 1.77 percent decline.
The finance index also moved into negative territory for the year, after falling 1.45 percent on speculation that the Fed would not raise interest rates in September.
NetApp rose 5.3 percent to $31.36 after the data storage equipment maker’s results beat expectations.
Declining issues outnumbered advancing ones on the NYSE by 2,263 to 637. On the Nasdaq, 2,078 issues fell and 604 advanced.
The S&P 500 index showed three new 52-week highs and 28 new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 13 new highs and 133 new lows. (Reporting by Tanya Agrawal in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D‘Souza)


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htc - News, Features, and Slideshows
- Unlocked HTC One M9 smartphone to sell for $649
- Despite its design, One M9 unlikely to be HTC's knight in shining armor
htc in pictures
U.S. wireless carriers today announced off-contract prices ranging from $650 to $685 for the new 32 GB Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone and $100 to $129 more in premium pricing for its stylish cousin, the Edge, with both coming to buyers on April 10.
By Matt Hamblen | 27 March, 2015 03:24
The One M9 may be a knockout, but it's not likely to save HTC. The device looks similar to its predecessor at a time when competitors have multiplied and stepped up their game, making it even harder for the struggling company to make a mark in the high-end segment.
By Mikael Ricknäs | 25 March, 2015 04:13
HTC and Samsung Electronics impressed Mobile World Congress attendees with new high-end smartphones, but they won't be the only game in town for long: LG Electronics and Huawei Technologies are readying competing products expected to be announced next month.
By Mikael Ricknäs | 12 March, 2015 04:09
As a long-time Windows Mobile user who finally gave up on it and switched to an Android phone, I've been thrilled with the new operating system. Now, it looks like others who are fed up with WinMo might be able to switch a little more easily.
By David Pierce | 23 February, 2010 08:46
HTC announced its One M8 smartphone on Tuesday, boasting its premium styling and asserting that it offers the world's best innovations. Those include a dual rear camera for adding depth to photos and a battery with 40% longer life than last year's HTC One M7.
By Matt Hamblen | 25 March, 2014 19:39
Last week's rollout of the Motorola Moto X was headline-making for several reasons. Beyond the obvious novelty of being the first flagship release from the company since the RAZR HD line last fall, it's also the first since Google completed its acquisition of Motorola Mobility in May.
By Jon Gold | 05 August, 2013 22:04
Physical keyboard addicts now have a smartphone designed for them, but no one else may want to suffer the drawbacks
By Galen Gruman | 12 June, 2013 10:10
The following report, is based on a global survey of 706 IT and security professionals conducted in the United States, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. The goal of the survey was to capture data on current attitudes and trends with mobile devices and IT security. This is the third survey on this topic and this report evaluates differences in responses to similar questions asked over the past two years.
- CCFront End Web Developer (Drupal)NSW
- CCMobile Designer / Developer - IOSNSW
- CCMobile iOS DeveloperNSW
- FTBusiness Management - Account Director - Leading Entertainment ClientNSW
- CCMobile Designer / Developer - IOSNSW
- FT.Net Solution ArchitectNSW
- FTSenior SQL DBANSW
- CCDBA (Oracle/SQL)NSW
- FTJunior Media Buyer - Sales CoordinatorNSW
- CCSenior Systems EngineerNSW
- CC.Net Solution ArchitectNSW
- CCSenior Release EngineerNSW
- FTApplication Support SpecialistNSW
The increasing sophistication, frequency, and diversity of today’s network attacks are overwhelming conventional stateful security devices at the edge of the data center. A new data center architecture based on application delivery firewall solutions will effectively combat modern attacks while providing significant CapEx savings.
- Facebook reveals the logic behind its forced Messenger split
- French self-driving car goes for a spin around Paris monument
- Google to bring imaging, sensor technology to the operating room
- 5 freshly-funded cloud computing companies worth watching
- Why Meerkat and Periscope are the next big challenge for marketers
- USB Type-C peripherals are on the way, and storage devices are first up
- Microsoft should forget the Surface, stick to the Pro 2-in-1 line
- Slack hacked, compromising users' profile data
- Congress moves quickly on cyberthreat information sharing
- New mobile-malware detection technique uses gestures
- Google Cloud Launcher deploys VM-based apps in a snap
- Apple Watch mini-stores to open in London, Paris, Tokyo luxury retail shops
- BlackBerry posts second straight earnings gain
- Safari users in the UK can sue Google over alleged privacy violations
- BlackBerry shocks with Q4 profit but CEO Chen can't stop sales slide


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Mobomo, the mobile app developer based on Democracy Boulevard, came in as the No. 159 fastest growing company in 2013 with $2.8 million in revenue last year, up from $107,540 in 2009. The company is still small — it started in 2009 and has added 10 employees in the past three years for a total of 13 — but it is the highest ranking Bethesda company on the list.
Wellness Corporate Solutions, the Cabin John-based firm that creates wellness programs for corporate and government clients, came in at No. 357 in the rankings. It tailors health programming for offices. Its clients include a single office with 50 employees, multi-state corporations with 150,000 employees and many places in between. The company posted $9.3 million in revenue in 2012 and has added 46 employees over the past three years for a total of 51. It was founded in 2004.
Other Bethesda-based companies on the list include government cyber security and IT contractor Digital Management at No. 513 and online wedding organizer and services company WeddingWire at No. 613.
Digital Management reported a 2012 revenue of $162.3 million and has added 1,093 jobs in the past three years for a total of 1,212 employees. WeddingWire, which in the past year moved from Bethesda to bigger offices in Chevy Chase, launched PromWire.com and MitzvahWire.com and had a reported 2012 revenue of $19.7 million. WeddingWire came in at No. 309 on last year’s list.
Streetsense, the all-in-one retail and restaurant broker, architecture, design and branding firm, moved into a vacant space at 3 Bethesda Metro earlier this year. It came in at No. 2,129 this year and has added 50 jobs in the past three years.


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Indonesia is ready for the next G20 Summit that will be held here in Bali;
As Indonesia is slowly getting back on its feet, it’s obvious that the government is doing everything they can to handle the Covid-19 virus that has been having us debilitated in these past couple of years.
Other than the obvious health and medical urgencies, we think it’s safe to say that they also do it to make sure that we are ready for the next G20 Summit that will be held here in Bali.
State-Owned Enterprise Minister Erick Thohir affirmed that the soon-to-be-held Group of Twenty (G20) Summit in Bali would unveil an opportunity to demonstrate Indonesia’s economic growth to the world.
“If the G20 Summit will be held in Bali, then this would offer us a great opportunity to show our nation’s economic growth,” Minister Thohir said as quoted from his official Instagram account @erickthohir on Tuesday.
The minister later explained that Indonesia was elected to become the host and will assume the presidency of the international forum of the 20 leading countries of the world economy in 2022.
“This is our first time hosting the G20 Summit,” Thohir added.
Earlier, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto remarked that several state leaders had expressed their support for Indonesia to hold the G20 presidency from December 1, 2021, to November 30, 2022.
At a meeting with Australian Prime Minister (PM), Scott Morrison, Hartarto spoke of Indonesia and Australia having agreed to raise a discussion on the digital economy at the G20 forum during the Indonesian presidency later.
The discussion aims to regulate policies in the digital sector to be aligned with the conventional sector, especially in terms of digital platforms.
Minister Hartarto said the support also came from French President, Emmanuel Macron, during a bilateral meeting with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) at the Splendide Royal Hotel, Rome, Italy.
Along with President Macron, President Jokowi discussed the plan to form a comprehensive economic partnership agreement between Indonesia and the European Union (IEU-CEPA).
President Jokowi pushed for accelerating the formation of the IEU-CEPA that is expected to boost the Indonesian economy. The acceleration is also expected to drive Indonesia’s exports to Europe and vice versa.
Likewise, during a bilateral meeting with Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President Jokowi also discussed the acceleration of the plan to form a comprehensive economic partnership agreement between Indonesia and Turkey or IT-CEPA.
The acceleration is expected to restore the large market for Indonesian crude palm oil (CPO) in Turkey, which had declined earlier.
Do you have anything to say about the matter? Let’s discuss it in the comment section. See you in our next article, stay safe, and stay healthy.


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Researchers were able to control cars through text messages
The team from the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) was able to wirelessly access the device, a two-inch-square device built by French-based company Mobile Devices.
The team sent text messages to the dongle, which was connected to the dashboard of a Corvette sports car, that contained commands to the car’s internal network that controls the physical driving components.
It was therefore able to turn the windscreen wipers on, and engage and disable the car’s brakes.
“We acquired some of these things [the dongles], reverse engineered them and, along the way, found that they had a whole bunch of security deficiencies,” said Stefan Savage, a UCSD computer security professor who led the project.
The team discovered that the dongles can “provide multiple ways to remotely… control just about anything on the vehicle they were connected to.”
The researchers said the control of the Corvette’s brakes only worked at low speeds, because of limitations in the computer-controlled automated functions of the vehicle.
[The dongles] had a whole bunch of security deficiencies
However, they added that they could have adapted their hacking attack for almost any other modern vehicle and taken control of a car’s locks, steering or gearbox.
Mobile Devices has since patched the hardware (which is also used by Uber drivers to reduce insurance costs) that the research team hacked.
It’s also worth noting that the telephone numbers used by the dongles aren't generally available.
However, the bugs in the Corvette exploited by the researchers are not unique to the car.
Other cars that have been hacked include a Jeep Cherokee, Tesla Model S, Toyota Prius and Ford Escape, and there are libraries of data on those attacks available online.


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Curve, the London-based fintech that combines multiple cards and accounts into one smart card and app, is to launch in the US after sealing a $95 million equity round.
The Series C funding round was led by IDC Ventures, Fuel Venture Capital and Vulcan Capital, with participation from OneMain Financial), the US personal finance company, and Novum Capital. The fundraise brings the total investment in Curve to almost $175M.
In February, Curve opened its first US office, in Brooklyn, New York, as a base for its Stateside operations and in October secured an an EMI Licence to enable it to serve its European customers following Brexit.
Alongside international expansion, Curve will also use the fresh funding to drive ongoing product innovation, notably of Curve Credit in early 2021. The fintech has contracted with Thought Machine for the build out of the product.
Shachar Bialick, founder and CEO of Curve, says: “This fundraise stands out as an endorsement of Curve’s unique product strategy, the excitement surrounding the debut of Curve Credit, and the upcoming launch of Curve in the US."
Curve currently claims to reach two million customers, although the number of active users remains opaque.
The company has also come under fire for failing to file its accounts with Companies House in London. Speaking to TechCrunch, CEO Shachar Bialick said: “We missed the filing and the reason for that is because we had a very tight fundraising and we have limited resources so we had to prioritise it over something else. But we’re already in the process of submitting [the accounts] this week.”
And indeed, a fresh set of accounts published just this morning for the pre-pandemic 14 months ending 31 December 2019, showed a trebling of losses to £26.5 million from a £6.1 million shortfall in the previous 12 months.


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Phantom Dream from Fruits Basket's Takaya, Tokyopop
posted on by Egan Loo
The North American publisher Tokyopop will be launching Phantom Dream (Genei Musō), the manga that Natsuki Takaya created four years before her popular 1998-2006 Fruits Basket story, in December. Phantom Dream is about a man who is destined to become mankind's guardian against evil spirits. The story follows his romance with his childhood friend and his confrontations with various enemies.
Takaya created several earlier one-shot manga, such as 1990's Sickly Boy wa Hi ni Yowai in Hakusensha's Bessatsu Hana to Yume magazine and 1992's Born Free in Hana to Yume Planet Zōkan magazine. However, Phantom Dream would be her first work that would be published into compiled volumes. Hakusensha published Phantom Dream in Hana to Yume Planet Zōkan and Hana to Yume Step Zōkan magazines, and then released five volumes between 1994 and 1997.
Tokyopop will also be promoting its latest Fruits Basket release by posting the entire Volume 19 for free online on March 14 at 19:19 ET (7:19 p.m. ET) for 19 minutes. It will also be giving away a physical copy a day between now and March 14 to members of its online Fruits Basket clan.
Update: Corrected number of physical copies being given away. Thanks, MagicallyDelicious.


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The water consumer to boil water prior to use other pns, however, will suggest that the public purchase bottled water, as boiling will intensify the concentration of some chemical. According to the international bottled water association (ibwa), in 2013 bottled water consumption in china reached 395 million cubic metres, representing 15% of the global market, making china the number one market for bottled water in the world. 'no threat to health': bottled water association the bottled water in canada is perfectly safe for human consumption and there is no threat to health in regard to antimony, griswold said. The bottled water industry threat of entry of new competitors is low firstly, the competitors that currently exist are large, dominating companies who already own a huge market share of the industry.
Two water sources supply water for two treatment facilities that produce a blended water for customers lake varner, an 820-acre reservoir, is the source for cornish creek water treatment facility cornish creek wtf is an up-flow clarification facility permitted for 25 mgd (million gallons per day. In the uk bottled water industry, the threat of entry of new competitors is low owing to the fact that existing competitors are currently large dominating companies who already own a huge market share of the industry, leading to a stiff defense on market share (forsyth h , 2010. The key question competition in the bottled water industry in 2006 industry competitors bargaining power of suppliers bargaining power of customers threats of substitute products threats of new entrants conclusion 3. If bottled water is labeled as spring or mineral water, it must come from an underground source rather than a public water supply and mineral water is the same as spring water except that it contains a larger amount of dissolved mineral salts.
Representatives of ontario's bottled water industry say their business is no threat to the health of the province's groundwater supply, and that they are being unfairly singled out by critics of. A report by food and water watch says that almost half of all bottled water is derived from tap water may or may not be your bottled water source flickr - enor 478% (in 2009) , to be exact. Nitrate is one of the most common groundwater contaminants in rural areas it is regulated in drinking water primarily because excess levels can cause methemoglobinemia, or blue baby disease although nitrate levels that affect infants do not pose a direct threat to older children and adults, they. No other reports of bottled water contaminated with gasoline have been reported but it seems likely that the risk would be present with other brands this entry was posted in defective products , health concerns and tagged gasoline , poland spring bottled water , superstorm sandy. Charleston underscores the imperative of ensuring that clean water policies are fully implemented and strengthened where necessary toledo reminds us that threats are not static and neither is the.
The bottled water industry is in the midst of a banner year bottled water sales are set to outstrip soda sales in the us for the first time since the beverage marketing corporation began. Essay porter five forces of air asia porter's five forces threat of new entrants threat of new entry is moderate, because it requires high capital to support and government barrier is high such as the air service agreement can build barriers to those new entrants. The gcc bottled water market: industry trends, share, size, growth, opportunity and forecast 2017-2022 report has been added to research and markets' offering gcc bottled water market: industry.
Bottled-water _strength:maintain _user-generated _weakness:fix about wikiwealthcom wikiwealthcom is a collaborative research and analysis website that combines the sum of the world's knowledge to produce the highest quality research reports for over 6,000 stocks, etfs, mutual funds, currencies, and commodities. The bottled water problem introduction most of americans today prefer drinking from bottled water other than regular tap water bottled water is definitely more efficient and more reliable than tap water in many ways because it is easy to carry around. Dimensions of bottled water industry the bottled water industry enjoyed substantial growth in the last decade, especially in the united states the popularity of bottled water increased dramatically since 1996, and different customers were able to be targeted.
38 5 understanding the hazards and threats having described the water supply and produced flow diagrams in order to represent the supply in a logical and easily understood way, the next step is to conduct. The global soft drink and bottled water manufacturing industry faced multiple obstacles from mature markets over the five years to 2018, leading to a global industry contraction. Bottled water business plan swot - economic analysis starting a bottled water production company can't be said to be a difficult business venture but at the same time, it is a business that requires thorough economic analysis - feasibility studies and market survey et al if you are looking towards making profits in the industry. The threat of new entrants is partially increased by the low switching costs for consumers conclusion : to be successful on a large scale, the high capital requirements for manufacturing, distribution, and marketing are high barriers to entry.


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Halliburton -- Dick Cheney's old company -- has branched out from defrauding the US military and has opened a new front: attacking American inventors by subverting the patent system. The company has filed for a patent on "patent acquisition and assertion by a (non-inventor) first party against a second party." In other words, they're seeking the exclusive right to use the patent system to create lawsuits instead of useful inventions.
In 2007, Haliburton filed for patent protection – claiming a method of "patent acquisition and assertion by a (non-inventor) first party against a second party." It looks like the company wants to be able to sue non-inventing entities who try to patent and assert technology against a company who has been using the technology as a trade secret. Bilski wipes cleanly out the claims – except for those claiming the step of "performing research using a computer." The inventor Clive D. Menezes is a Halliburton patent attorney. The prosecuting attorney is Howard Speight.
Eli Livingston’s $23 viynl Big Chap bank is a beaut (I bought one last week when I saw it in person in a store): the whole sculpt is awesome, but the tinted/clear-plastic brain-casing is just the best.
Calyx is a famous, heroic, radical ISP that has been involved in groundbreaking litigation — they were the first company to ever get a secret Patriot Act warrant unsealed, fighting for 11 years to overturn the gag order.
After failing to install Linux on a recent Lenovo laptop, a Reddit user claims to have received a short reply from Lenovo’s support team: “This system has a Signature Edition of Windows 10 Home installed. It is locked per our agreement with Microsoft.”
If you own a dog, you’ve most likely heard of BarkBox – the monthly subscription box for dogs. What started as a simple idea to try out the subscription model on pet owners has since developed a cult following of dog lovers. If you haven’t given it a try yet, this one month free deal is the […]
With the iPhone headphone jack having gone by the wayside, we’re excited about the addition of the FRANKLIN Bluetooth Headphones in our store. These headphones are foldable so they’re easy to carry around, but most importantly, they pack impressive sound. Our biggest struggle with Bluetooth headphones is the worry of them dying at the worst moment. This pair lasts an impressive 8-10 […]
Evan Kimbrell, founder of the digital agency Sprintkick, recently released a series of online courses that feature some of the best advice we’ve come across. These courses are well worth your time, and will save you from making many typical mistakes down the line if you ever want to start your own business.With this Business […]


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US companies are sounding the alarm bells on the economy
(Bloomberg) – American companies have suddenly and radically changed their outlook on the American economy.
Bloomberg’s Most Read
Executives from Jamie Dimon and Elon Musk to furniture retailer HR director Gary Friedman all warned investors this week to beware of an economic downturn. After months of strong consumer spending and supply chain improvements, some of the nation’s most vocal business leaders have begun to ratchet up alarms about decades-high inflation and impending rate hikes. of interest.
“We have a long way to go to raise interest rates to fight inflation,” Friedman said during HR’s earnings call on Thursday. “And I think you just have to be ready for anything right now.”
Musk reportedly told Tesla Inc. employees this week that he had a “super bad feeling” about the economy and needed to cut 10% of jobs at the electric car maker, according to Reuters.
The tone contrasts with Friday’s jobs report showing bigger-than-expected payroll gains. And economists still see the risk of a recession as unlikely next year, even though the odds have increased. A Bloomberg survey puts the risk of recession at 30% over the next 12 months, up from 15% in March.
The sense of doom has been particularly evident in the banking sector, where Dimon told investors this week that they should prepare for an economic “hurricane”.
“This hurricane is right out there in the road,” the CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co. said Wednesday, citing rising interest rates and fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “We don’t know if it’s Minor or Superstorm Sandy. You better be prepared.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Chairman John Waldron echoed the theme the next day, calling the current economic climate one of the most complex he’s ever seen. “The confluence of the number of shocks on the system is unprecedented for me,” Waldron said.
BlackRock Inc. CEO Larry Fink said he expects inflation to remain elevated for several years. And PNC Financial Services Group Inc. CEO Bill Demchak said the only possible outcome was a recession.
Elsewhere, S&P Global Inc. suspended its annual forecast this week, citing deteriorating economic conditions and “extraordinarily low” volumes of debt issuance.
Still, some bank executives are counting on the continued strength of the US consumer. Holly O’Neill, president of retail banking at Bank of America Corp., said there were no signs yet that this pillar of the economy was beginning to crumble.
“We don’t see any signs of cracks,” O’Neill told an investor conference. “We obviously watch this every day.”
Bloomberg Businessweek’s Most Read
©2022 Bloomberg LP


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An image of what appears to be the facelifted version of the overseas Holden Colorado, known as the Chevrolet S-10 in some markets, has surfaced on social media giving us a potential look at the next face of the local model.
The image was posted on Instagram by Brazilian website BFMS. It is a fairly poor quality image but you can quite easily make out the new-look grille which is split into halves once again.
There also appears to be an increased use of chrome around the front, along with small side intakes cascading their way down the front bumper bar. In the middle is an up-swept panel that wraps from the underside.
This is a much more sophisticated front end compared with the current Colorado. Chevrolet is obviously wanting to stand out in the crowded ute/mid-size pickup truck segment.
It’s unconfirmed if Australia will receive this facelift. As usual, Holden doesn’t comment on future plans. We believe this is because it doesn’t want its customers to hold off on buying current products.
What it has said though is that it’s planning to launch 24 new models by 2020, including new SUVs, a sports car, and obviously a large car to replace the Commodore. We’ll have to wait and see if this facelift is part of the mix.
Local sales of the Holden Colorado are going quite strong. In the first two months of this year sales are up 6.7 per cent for the 4×4 models, while total 4×2 and 4×4 figures have jumped from 2880 to 2950 for the first two months of the year.


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This is a game changer parents! Until now there hasn’t been an infant car seat on the market that parents could use in the car in the reclined position for a sleeping baby. In the new year, Kiddy USA will release their Evolution Pro 2 Infant Car seat and it will be approved for use in the car in the reclined position.
This is great news for parents who are concerned about taking long trips with a baby in their infant car seat due to the positioning. Having a seat that will recline 70 degrees not only offers more comfort for a sleeping baby, but it is also safer for them.
While at the ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas this week I had the chance to learn more and film a video demo for you!
Connie, the company’s rep, ran me through the features and specs for the seat.
Look for the Evolution Pro 2 to retail for $449 when it debuts in stores Spring 2017.


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GoEuro, one of a raft of European startups attempting to simplify the tangled web of transport booking systems us ‘Old Worldian’ Europeans have to navigate if we wish to travel across borders, has topped up its funding level with a new post-seed round “multi-million” dollar investment from Lakestar.
It’s also announced Charles Petruccelli, former President of Global Business Travel for American Express, as a new investor. TechCrunch understands the post-seed round is additive rather than essential for GoEuro, which is still maintaining a strong cash position at this point. GoEuro is not disclosing the exact size of the new round but TechCrunch understands it is sizeable.
The new funding round follows a $4 million seed for the Berlin-based startup, led by Battery Ventures and Hasso Plattner Ventures in March last year. GoEuro launched a service to users in the U.K. and Germany last May.
GoEuro said it will be using…
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Fine jewellery brand Annoushka believes that remaining nimble with digital client servicing will be crucial to business, in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
The brand, which celebrates 10 years in business this year, has built an enviable portfolio of bricks and mortar stores in premium postcodes alongside own brand concessions in London, Hong Kong and China; but the company has been clever to not take its eye off more creative clienteling platforms, which empower their sales staff and allow them to sell to clients in a digital reality.
“With a global epidemic in hand which has almost entirely frozen travel for a population who account for 60% of luxury sales outside of mainland China, never have our virtual sales platforms been more important to us as a business and for our global clients who may be feeling entirely isolated,” cites creative director of the eponymous brand, Annoushka Ducas. “Our upcoming campaign will ensure our global clientele know they can access us through a myriad of connected platforms.”
The British brand prides itself on offering an exceptional customer experience and has been willing to embrace in innovative new platforms to do so.
Seeing an opportunity to extend the in-store experience to the global tech savvy customer, Annoushka, an early adopter of Whatsapp and WeChat as sales channels, was the first European jeweller to integrate HERO – a messaging app, which instantly connects online customers with in-store teams via chat, text and video– mimicking the in-store experience in real time.
HERO even has a ‘little black book’ functionality, which connects clients to the team member who previously worked with them.
A year from launch Annoushka’s global sales teams have accounted for £100,000 worth of sales through HERO alone and the conversion rates speak volumes; Annoushka reports a 180% conversion increase when clients come through the app.
In December 2019 HERO accounted for 11% of the overall online revenue for the month and the company predict a continued increase as retail habits shift and customers are increasingly concerned about coronavirus.
Annoushka is also reporting an increase in customers connecting with their local Annoushka store via Whatsapp. This is most apparent, but not entirely unexpected in the Bicester Village store, a destination dominated by Chinese and Korean shoppers, where Annoushka report that “mail order” (a colloquialism for all sales taken through Whatsapp and WeChat) have accounted for 16% of overall sales over the last year, peaking last month (February 2020) to a record 22% – a direct reflection of lower footfall in-store due to COVID-19.
“If there are customers who still want to shop and that brings them a little bit of joy at an awful time, then we’ll continue to go above and beyond to make that a special, fine-tuned experience. We want our customers to know that in spite of the terrible global situation and whatever the future may hold, we’re on hand,” says Ducas


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Over the past little while, the markets have been rather optimistic about the ongoing trade conflict between the U.S. and China. There has been relatively little news for the most part, with a recent announcement from Beijing about expanding its rare earth production helping ease international fears about a potential, politically motivated shutdown. However, as trade talks have begun underway once again, it appears that discussions have gotten bogged down once again, this time regarding farm purchases.
According to The Wall Street Journal, President Trump pressed China on an earlier, tentative commitment that the eastern superpower would agree to buy up to $50 billion in agricultural products, such as pork and soybeans, from the U.S. every year. However, Chinese negotiators weren’t enthusiastic about committing to a hard number in regards to the agreement.
It’s worth noting that China’s domestic pork industry has been ravaged by a swine flu epidemic, resulting in a drastic reduction in the nation’s pork herds. With China being the world’s largest consumer of pork, it’s become far more dependent on country’s like the U.S.
As why the nation is remaining vague in regards to the details, China wants to remain flexible, rather than locked down, should trade tensions escalate once more between the two nations. If it comes to a hard commitment at this stage on a financial figure and things break down, China’s official agreement in this issue could make it look weaker on the negotiating table.
At the same time, there are other issues that are delaying the completion of this limited trade agreement that was announced by both parties earlier in October. Both nations are also in disagreement over whether the U.S. should completely lift tariffs on Chinese imports, especially since this is a major demand from Beijing that’s conditional to other offers in the deal.
According to some anonymous U.S. trade officials that were asked on the issue, there are worries that China might be now asking too much now that an agreement seems to be so close to being finalized. On the other hand, U.S. officials have also said that they want China to sign rules to prevent manipulating its currency, as well as protecting companies’ intellectual property rights as well as open up its financial markets. This also seems to be a rather unlikely concession at this point.
Before this piece of news broke, the last related development was in regards to China’s rare earth metal output. With countries like the U.S. entirely dependent on China’s virtual monopoly on rare earths for crucial areas such as defense manufacturing, Beijing has used its control over this sector to exert pressure on Washington. Just recently, however, it announced that it was increasing its rare earth output by 10%, reaching a record high while simultaneously helping ease worries.
Although some suspect that this move is meant to also hurt America’s efforts to build its own rare earth industry, as increased supply will mean lower prices and lower profit margins for American start-ups, it was still a modestly reassuring sign nonetheless from an international geopolitical standpoint.
While it seems that this limited trade agreement could be reached relatively soon, it’s anyone’s guess as to when exactly this will happen. Until then, the agricultural industry, among many others, will be holding its breath.


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At the start of 2020, phishers began exploiting the pandemic and deviated from their normal lures to an array of pandemic-correlated themes for their phishing activities. One year after the pandemic began, the Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 Team researchers reviewed the phishing trends over the past year to see the variations in the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) of phishers and the level to which COVID-19 was utilized in their phishing activities.
The researchers reviewed all phishing links discovered from January 2020 and February 2021 to find out the number that had a COVID-19 motif, utilizing certain keywords and terms linked to COVID-19 and other elements of the pandemic. The researchers found 69,950 different phishing URLs associated with COVID-19 subjects, with more or less half of those links directly linked to COVID-19.
Phishing campaigns were immediately associated with the most current news and views on the COVID-19 and directly mirrored the current pandemic fads. Subsequent to the World Health Organization’s statement about the pandemic last March 2020 there was a universal lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing sets. Phishing campaigns started offering obtaining access to products. Government stimulus programs were afterward announced, and phishing campaigns were rapidly used to contain baits connected to those programs. As an example, the number of phishing emails linked to COVID-19 online test kits directly matched the popularity of test kit-linked lookups on Google.
All through the pandemic, phishers targeted the web pages of authentic vendors of COVID-19 test kits. They acquired access to the web pages and loaded phishing kits to take credentials. In December 2020, as the vaccine campaign commenced, campaigns turned to vaccine-related lures employing domain names that spoofed vaccine makers for instance Biontech Pfizer among others. The sites of drug companies were targeted and had phishing content put in connected to vaccines. Between December 2020 and February 2021, vaccine-connected phishing scams grew by 530%.
One of the strategies utilized by phishers to avoid security tools is to employ a two-step procedure on their phishing web pages that call for the visitor to click to sign in before being shown the phishing form – a technique known as client-side cloaking. A lot of anti-phishing tools will check out the URL dropped in an email message to examine the content however will simply take a look at the landing page for phishing stuff. By making use of client-side cloaking, it is less likely to notice the malicious content.
The report points out the opportunistic identity of phishers. They will swiftly alter their TTPs according to new developments and utilize baits that are most likely to obtain the perfect response, which includes modifying targets. From December 2020 to February 2021, phishing attacks aimed at pharmacies and hospitals went up by 189% as phishers moved to aim at healthcare staff to take their credentials.
During the pandemic, Microsoft was the company most hit by phishers. Above 23% of COVID-19 phishing links are directed Microsoft credentials. Phony Microsoft login pages were created to steal the Microsoft 365 credentials of personnel at pharmaceutical organizations and drug stores. Whenever Microsoft credentials are collected, they could be employed to gain access to email accounts to distribute phishing emails from legitimate pharmacy and pharma corporation domains, raising the likelihood of those email messages being sent and acted upon by the receivers. Victim firms consist of Glenmark Pharmaceuticals in India, Pharmascience In Canada Junshi Biosciences In China, and Walgreens in the US.
At the moment, huge numbers of phishing emails are associated with vaccines and as more persons attempt to get themselves and their members of the family listed for vaccination, vaccine-connected phishing activities are very likely to carry on.


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There has been a rash of credit card skimming devices discovered throughout southwest Georgia recently.
This week, the Thomasville Police Department published a facebook post detailing the discovery of two credit card skimming devices at area gas stations. According to Lt. Tim Watkins with the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office, the skimmers were discovered at two different gas stations – one in Thomas County and one in Grady County.
“The device discovered at the Thomas County gas station was similar to the one found in the Pine Park Road area in Grady County” — Lt. Tim Watkins, Criminal Investigations, Thomas County Sheriff’s Office
The skimming device was discovered when the victim notified the store that suspicious charges appeared on their bank account. Because the victim knew the last place the card had been used, the police were able to narrow down the search and ultimately discovered the skimming device on the gas pump.
In September, another skimming device was located on a bank ATM in Thomasville. According to Sgt. Knifer with the Thomasville Police Department, that device was an exact replica of the molded plastic card slot.
With the increased appearance of card skimmers across southwest Georgia, the best advice law enforcement offers is to monitor your account often in order to be aware of suspicious charges. “Monitor your account, report fraud immediately and know the last place you used your card” said Lt. Watkins “and try to use the pumps with the security seal in place. If you notice a broken seal, notify the store”.


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Ariane Daguin, founder and CEO of D\’92Artagnan, explains the importance of humane and sustainable meat production.
Food Tank spoke with Denise O’Brien, farmer and founder of Women, Food Agriculture Network, who will be speaking at the Food Tank Summit in Chicago.
Brazil’s dietary guidelines provide sensible, food-based advice to combat the double burden of undernutrition and obesity.
Food Tank spoke with Pierre Ferrari, President and CEO at Heifer International, who will be speaking at the Food Tank Summit in Chicago.
A report by the FAO, University of Minnesota, and CGIAR suggests that sustainable intensification is not enough to lower agricultural emissions to safe levels.
The Food Innovation Summer School Mediterraneo, brought students together to explore how tradition and innovation can share space in the future of food.


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Owner of Bend-Based Microbrewery Equipment Company Indicted on Fraud Charges
EUGENE, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Eugene returned an indictment last week charging a Bend, Oregon resident with using a microbrewery equipment company to defraud customers of more than $800,000.
The seven-count indictment alleges that Matthew Mulder, 48, used his company, WeCan Brewing Systems, LLC, to solicit payments from 23 customers located throughout the U.S. Mulder’s company supplied custom-built microbrew systems, keg washers, and other industrial brewing products. Many of his customers were microbrewery owners.
According to court documents, beginning in at least 2017, Mulder began soliciting and accepting orders for microbrewery equipment he knew his company was not capable of fulfilling. When asked by various customers for order updates, Mulder falsely stated that the orders were on schedule or near completion.
Mulder would entice customers to make payments by sending emails and text messages that included photos of nearly-completed orders prepared for other customers. Mulder solicited and accepted new customer contracts requiring large down payments that he would in-turn use for personal expenses, to pay off loans, and to pay suppliers.
Mulder made his initial appearance in federal court in Eugene today. He was released pending a jury trial scheduled for April 29, 2020 before U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane.
Mulder faces four counts of wire fraud and three counts of mail fraud. Wire and mail fraud are both punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years’ supervised release.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Bend Police Department and is being prosecuted by Gavin W. Bruce, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.